1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a system and method of regenerating diesel engine exhaust system filters and catalysts.
2. Background Art
Diesel engine exhaust systems include particulate filters, catalyst soot filters, and NOx adsorber catalysts that clean exhaust and reduce engine emissions. There is a need to regenerate and desulfate exhaust system components on a regular basis for efficient operation.
Regeneration of diesel particulate filters requires heating the filters to temperatures of approximately 500° C. for a period of about 10 minutes. Regeneration of catalyzed soot filters requires heating the filters to temperatures of approximately 400° C. for a period of about 10 minutes. Desulfation of NOx adsorbers requires heating the catalysts to temperatures of approximately 700° C. for at least 5 minutes while operating the engine with a rich air/fuel mixture (excess fuel/no excess oxygen), that produces exhaust gas with higher concentrations of unburned hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide, and no oxygen. The prior art has proposed maintaining high catalyst temperatures by locating the catalyst components close to the engine turbocharger turbine outlet. This approach is not practical in on-highway vehicles due to space constraints.
The preferred way to perform a regeneration cycle is to heat the filter and catalyst components while the vehicle is at rest, for example, during a refueling stop. High exhaust temperatures are most effectively generated by loading the engine. However, it is difficult to adequately load an engine while a vehicle is at rest. The only loads on the engine when a vehicle is at rest are electrical loads such as those associated with lights and air conditioning systems and mechanical loads related to the operation of an air compressor, cooling fan and the idling torque load of the engine. These loads are negligible compared to the road loads encountered when a loaded vehicle is climbing a grade.
There is a need for an effective system for imposing a higher load on the engine when the vehicle is at rest thereby producing higher temperatures needed for regenerating exhaust system filter and catalyst components.
These and other problems are addressed by applicant's invention and summarized below.